1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the joining of structural members and, more particularly, relates to the brazing of structural members to form a structural assembly such as an elongate member joined with at least one connector.
2. Description of Related Art
The selection of material for forming a structural member is typically based, at least in part, on the material's properties such as strength, stiffness, toughness, corrosion resistance, and the like. For some structural members, the choice of material is limited by the required properties. For example, braces, struts, connecting rods, and the like are typically elongate, rod- or beam-like components that define connection portions at the opposite ends. The elongate portion of such a structural member generally requires high axial strength so that the member can transmit loads between the opposite ends. Each of the connection portions at the ends of the member can be an aperture, a slot, a clevis, or the like, often requiring greater strength in the non-axial direction than the elongate portion. In some cases the connection portions are formed with a cross-sectional size, i.e., transverse to the axial direction of the member, that is larger than the cross-sectional size of the elongate portion so that the connection portions provide sufficient strength for connecting to other devices and transmitting loads through the structural member.
However, in many cases, the size, weight, or other characteristics of the structural member are limited by the application. For example, in the case of a strut for a landing gear assembly, the strut must meet dimensional requirements while also providing high strength at a minimum weight. In fact, the strength and dimensional requirements for the connection portions may require a high strength material, such as certain types of steel. A material that provides the necessary characteristics for the connection portions may also provide sufficient strength for use in the elongate portion of the structural member. Nevertheless, the material may be less than optimal for use in the elongate member. For example, if the elongate member is used primarily to transmit loads in the axial direction, a high axial strength may be necessary while equal strengths in other dimensions are not required. That is, the elongate portion can be formed of a material that is optimized to provide the specific strength required by the elongate portion, e.g., a composite material that provides a high strength in a specific direction. However, if the same composite material does not provide the necessary characteristics for use in the connection portions, the composite material may be unsuitable for the structural member. Further, forming composite materials to a more complicated geometry, as is often required for the connection portions, can significantly increase the time and/or cost for manufacture.
Thus, there exists a need for an improved structural assembly, as well as a method and system for manufacturing the structural assembly. The structural assembly should be compatible for use as a rod- or beam-like device that transmits loads, such as brake rods, engine braces, landing gear struts, landing gear braces, and the like. The structural assembly should provide an elongate portion that possesses certain properties and at least one connection portion that defines properties that are at least partially different than the elongate portion.